Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Wyatt’s eyes swept the room, his presence radiating power. “I’m standing up for my wife. Got a problem with that?”
Carl’s expression didn’t change. He didn’t lift a finger to help Owen.
Owen’s face twisted again and again, until he tried to redirect the blame. “Wyatt, admit it-Yunice got hurt because you hit her!”
Yunice stepped out from behind the curtain. “It wasn’t him.”
Wyatt looked over, his gaze still stormy. When she moved toward him, he met her halfway so she wouldn’t have to walk too far.
Joe stepped out as well, addressing Carl directly. “Mr. Carl, I’m Yunice’s attending physician. I need to clear this up-Yunice’s injury was from abdominal surgery.”
Oscar’s brows furrowed. “Surgery? Why?”
Joe nodded. “That’s the right question.”
“Ever since Yunice came back from the psychiatric facility, I’ve been overseeing her health. Mr. Carl, Mr. Oscar, I know you both returned from overseas recently. There’s a lot you might not know. Her body may look fine on the outside-but it’s been through hell.”
Owen sneered. “Overexaggerating much? Yunice walks around just fine every day. Still has the energy to stir up drama, going after SAT, meddling in the Saunders family, the Powell family, the Cooper family, even the Johnson family. And let’s not forget Quinton-word is she’s in bed with him too. You expect me to believe someone that ‘fragile’ is this full of energy?”
Joe ignored him and handed over a medical file.
“Here’s her initial diagnostic report.”
Oscar snatched it before Carl could reach it. Carl might not follow the medical terms, but Oscar could read every word.
He scanned the page line by line.
Blunt force trauma. Internal organ compression. Slow abdominal bleeding. Old electrical burn scars. Soft tissue contusions.
This kind of injury profile didn’t happen by accident. It was the kind of damage only long-term abuse could cause.
Oscar stood frozen. Yunice had never once mentioned any of this to him since he’d come back.
As shock, fury, and grief shifted across his face, Joe calmly said, “We’re not done. This is Yunice’s second hospital file.”
This time, Carl stepped forward and took the report. It detailed secondary abdominal trauma and internal bruising.
Carl scanned both reports. The second injury had occurred just two months after the first.
Yunice had already returned to the Saunders family by then, and instead of recovering, she’d ended up even worse off-back in the hospital again.
Carl’s face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead in rage.
Joe added coldly, “This second injury happened right around the time of Yunice and Mr. Wyatt’s engagement. At the time, Owen was forcing Yunice to marry him. She refused, and Owen kicked her so hard she ended up with serious internal damage. Her body was already full of old wounds. The surgery didn’t go as planned, so we had to operate again once she was stable. But somehow, word got out that Mr. Wyatt had beaten her-and these two twisted it into a public accusation. Tell me, what kind of brother does that to his own sister? And you, Owen, you’ve got the nerve to get worked up over Wyatt kicking Elsie? Haven’t you done worse to your own blood?”
Owen stood stunned, blindsided by the shift. He hadn’t expected anyone to bring up the past, let alone all unite against him.
He’d come here for Yunice’s sake-how did it turn into this?
Feeling both wronged and resentful, Owen barked, “Yunice kicked my mom first! I acted out in the moment!”
Joe replied flatly, “And how strong do you think a girl like her really is? How strong are you? Funny how your mother walked away just fine, but Yunice ended up hospitalized.”
Owen couldn’t answer.
“The records are right in front of you. Yunice’s injuries were serious. You had two months to help her recover, and you did nothing. She just kept getting worse. If Mr. Wyatt hadn’t stepped in, she’d probably be six feet under by now. Not only are you ungrateful, you tried to smear Wyatt’s name, saying he beat her.”
Wyatt looked at Yunice, unreadable.
Yunice returned his gaze, calm and clear, then quietly reached for his hand.
She knew exactly what he was thinking.
This hospitalization wasn’t completely unrelated to Wyatt. He hadn’t actually hit her, but he had gotten rough.
He didn’t like that they were shielding him from blame. It didn’t sit right.
Sensing that, Yunice gently scratched his palm, a silent signal: Keep calm. Let her finish this.
Carl glanced at them, then turned his gaze to Owen, now hard as iron.
“As your elder, I have to ask: Is what he said true?”
Owen stiffened. “This is all a misunderstanding. Yunice isn’t telling the whole truth! Mr. Carl, if you don’t believe me or Elsie, fine. But you’re saying you don’t believe my mom either?”
“Enough!” Carl slammed the report to the floor. He’d given Owen a chance-but all he got was denial.
“Elsie’s been caught in lie after lie. She can’t even keep her story straight. And still, you defend her. Look at Yunice-look at the evidence. Yet you accuse her of lying? Who’s biased now?
Your family owns a hospital. You tell me, if you really cared about Yunice, why did her health worsen in your care?
And the psychiatric facility? Let’s talk about that. Even if she had needed help, why was she hurt so badly there? Did you look into it? File a complaint? Do anything?
You’re not a brother-you’re a goddamn disgrace.”
Owen stood there pale, speechless.
Carl turned to Yunice with a mix of guilt and sorrow in his eyes. His voice cracked. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? If today hadn’t happened, I would’ve never known what those animals did to you. I wouldn’t even know how to face your father.”
Yunice lowered her eyes and spoke softly. “He’s still my brother. I didn’t want him to be condemned too harshly.”
Carl’s throat tightened, tears threatening. He looked back at Owen, full of disappointment. “Did you hear that? After everything she’s been through, she’s still trying to protect you. And you-look at what you’ve done.”
He pointed. “Elsie pressed directly on her wound. You think that didn’t hurt?”
Carl let out a breath, like he’d burned through his last shred of patience.
“This ends today. Yunice’s suffering won’t be ignored any longer.”
Owen’s face twisted. “What do you mean by that?”
Carl raised his head, voice cold, “You said Yunice was faking it, right? Then go ahead-fake it for me. Show me how someone could use pain like this to frame someone else.”
Owen looked at Carl, guilt written all over his face, as if waiting for a sentence to be handed down.
He knew he had lost today and that things would not end well for him, but he still said, “It was all me. It had nothing to do with Elsie. Carl, if you want to punish someone, punish me.”
Yunice kept her head down, her eyes focused on her nose, her nose on her heart. At a time like this, Owen was still thinking about protecting Elsie. Maybe he really did care for her, cared enough to defend her more fiercely than anyone else in the Saunders family.
Oscar snorted. “What an idiot.”
Carl’s expression darkened. He said nothing for a long time. Then, after a heavy pause, he spoke lightly, “Leave.”
His words left everyone stunned.
He was just letting them go?
Oscar leaned over and glanced at Yunice. They couldn’t just let it go like this! But neither Yunice nor Wyatt said a word.
Oscar was furious but also knew the situation had been decided. No matter what he said now, it would be useless.
Owen, meanwhile, was so shocked that he let out a sigh of relief. Gratitude filled his eyes as he bowed to Carl and said, “Thank you, Carl.”